Friesen, Lisbeth J. Koehn (1922-1971)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1971 Feb 4 p. 5

Birth date: 1922 Oct 11

text of obituary:

Wife of Central District Minister Called by Death

Bluffton, Ohio. — Mrs. Lisbeth J. Friesen, wife of Rev. Jacob Friesen, Central District Conference Minister, died on Jan. 20 after a long illness.

She was born Oct. 11, 1922 in Meno, Okla., the daughter of Ben W. and Lydia (Unruh) Koehn. She was married on Sept. 2, 1945 to Rev. Jacob Friesen, who survives, along with her father and a daughter, Mrs. Gregg (Priscilla) Luginbuhl of Bluffton, and two sons, J. Friesen and Von Friesen, at home.

Also surviving are a sister, Mrs. Leo (Darlene) Driedger of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and four brothers, Rev. Levi Koehn of Freeman, S. D., Vern of Stockton, Calif., H. W. Jr. of Meno, Okla, and Paul of Concordia, Kan.

Mrs. Friesen was a member of First Mennonite Church of Bluffton, its Fellowship Guild and the Bluffton Telesis Club.

Private funeral services were held the morning of Jan. 22, followed by private burial in Maple Grove Cemetery in Bluffton. A memorial service was held in the evening in First Mennonite Church.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1971 Mar 11 p. 11

text of obituary:

Tribute to Wife, Mother

(Editor's Note: Mrs. Lisbeth Friesen, wife of Rev. Jacob T. Friesen of Bluffton, Ohio, died on Jan. 20, 1971 after an extended illness. This tribute was written by Rev. Friesen, who serves as Central District Conference Minister.)

LISBETH Friesen did not want to die. She wanted to live, to participate, to be involved. The home and family had priority. She looked forward to years of teaching in public school. For this she trained well; valedictorian in high school, graduate of Bethel College, and residence requirements completed for Masters in Religious Education from New York Biblical Seminary. She returned to the classroom in 1965 in part to help the children with college expenses. A year and a half later she had to relinquish her teaching position.

The years brought experiences both demanding and fulfilling. Pastor's wife, mother of three, MCC-VS assignment in Germany 1951-53, daughter's wedding 1968, 25th wedding anniversary Sept 2, Christmas 1970 with her family, Easter Sunday 1970 was the last Sunday morning worship attended with all members of her family. Many varied lectures, music, and worship she shared via the tape recorder in recent years. Her genuine interest and concern in the life of the Church and community never waned.

HER "QUIET CHARM," using the words of a friend, communicated a genuine interest in people and aversion to pretense. She strove to be creative in the books she read, the magazines from which she clipped and the needlework she chose to do. With the arrival of each child she completed a major needlework project. Most recently an invitation to join a group of ladies to learn to make embroidered carrying bags developed into a most creative outlet during the many hours confined to the home and hospital in 1970. Seventy of these embroidered bags became a visible extension of her desire to live and share herself. The last check was written to General Conference (Self-Help) Poverty Fund, drawn from proceeds of her year's work.

When she could no longer be useful she was anxious to experience freedom and fulfillment in the presence of her Creator-God whose Creative Spirit she shared. The family shared openly about the road ahead and the responsibilities this placed on each one. Lisbeth presented to each member of the family a personal token of love and remembrance.

AS A SILENT sufferer Lisbeth was determined to take no more sedation than absolutely necessary. Hope that medication might be able to give some relief continued until the last resource was exhausted. She was fully aware of her condition. She had come to a fork in the road and stated, "I am only waiting." Less than 48 hours after this moment her journey among us ended in peaceful silence.

Following the singing by her husband of three familiar hymns, "When Peace Like a River," "Take Thou My Hand, O Father," and"All Night, All Day, Angels Watching Over Me, My Lord," Lisbeth breathed deeply and gained her freedom. God was very near and the heavens seemed wide open.

THESE LINES dated May 10, 1970 were found in Lisbeth's letter drawer:

"I was nailed to this world of evil,
I tried to get loose but I was held fast.
As i remained there the world kept growing over me until I was almost overcome with its evil.
I felt the world pulling me to its care, and then the world died and I felt the pressure leave."

The words of Philippians 1:20-21 became flesh: "For my deep desire and hope is that I shall never fail my duty, but that at all times, and especially right now, I shall be full of courage, so that with my whole self I shall bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For what is life? To me, it is Christ! Death, then, will bring something even better." (Good News for Modern Man.)

The Mennonite obituary: 1971 Feb 16 p. 108